Electric



(No Model.)

S. D. SMITH.

ELECTRIC APPLIANCE FOR GANES.

Patented Oct. 18,1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN D. SMITH, OF MILIVAUKEE, WVISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC APPLIANCE FOR CANES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,618, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed December 7, 1891.

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be itknown that I, STEPHEN D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Appliances for Canes and Analogous Articles; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical appliances for canes and analogous articles; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cane constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus with their several connections. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional view.

In the drawings, A represents the head or handle, B the stick, and O the usual metallic tip of a cane, iunbrella-handle, or analogous article.

At any convenient point, preferably between the head A and the tip 0, is located a hollow or tubular metallic section D, within which are arranged one or more battery-cells E and a current-interrupter F, the construction and arrangement of Which will be hereinafter described.

Upon the outside of the cane or other article, and preferably upon or near the head A, are provided suitable switches G G G G for varying the connections and enabling the user to obtain different degrees or qualities of electric currents from the device.

The circuit-interrupter F comprises the usual electro-magnet F, a vibratory armature F actuated thereby, a spring f, acting in opposition to said magnet, and a yoke f provided upon one side with a contact-point f adapted to form contact with said armature at one end of its movement, and upon the other side provided with an insulated adjusting-screw arranged to limit the movement of the armature in the opposite direction.

The switches G, G, and G are arranged to make electrical contacts with contact-points g, g, and 9 respectively, and the switch G is arranged to be moved into contact with Serial No. 414.271. (No model.)

either one of two such contact-points g and 9 A wire H leads from one pole of the battery E to switch G a second wire H leads from the contact-point g to the electro-magnet F, a wire 11 leading from said electr0- magnet to the switch G, and another wire H leads from the contact-point g to the yoke f. A wire 11 extends from the vibrating armature F to the contact-point g, and a branch It leads from this wire H to a metallic piece A, located upon the outside of the handle A. From switch G a wire 11 returns to the battery. A branch wire 71, leads from the wire H, which is connected with the other pole of the battery, to a spring contact-point C, arranged to come into contact with a wire or rod (J in the lower end of the cane and which forms contact with the metallic tip or ferrule 0.

Within a recess A in the head or handle Ais located a miniature incandescent lamp I, the terminals of which are connected by wires 1' and I with the contact-points g and g, respectively, and a branch wire 72, leads from the switch G to the switch G as shown.

The batteries E E are convenientlysecured upon a suitable base or support, preferably made in the form of a strip J, extending lengthwise througl'i the tubular section of the cane, and upon which the circuit-interrupter F is likewise secured. This supporting-strip J is provided at one end with a tubular portion adapted to engage with the upper part of the caneand having an exterior screw-thread adapted to engage with a corresponding thread in the end of the tubular section D. The lower end of the tubular section D is similarly engaged with the lower portion of the cane, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. A wire 7L leads from the yokef and is connected either with the tubular portion D or with the base or support J, which is in contact with said tubular portion.

The operation of my device is as follows: Assuming first that the several switches rest in contact with the several contact-points indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and that the cane is used as a walking-stick, being alternately lifted and placed in contact with the ground. In this condition of the apparatus the current passes through the wire H, switch G contact-point 9 wire H, electromagnet F, wire H switch G, contact-point g, wire 11 to the yoke f, and when the armature F is in contact with the contact-point f current passes through armature F wire H, switch G, and wire II back to battery E. It will be seen that in this condition the metallic piece or plate A on the handle or head A is in shunt with the current-interrupter F. It now the metallic tip 0 be placed in contact with the ground, a portion of the current will pass from the wire H through the branch 71., contact C, rod 0 tip 0, the ground, and the body of the user to the metallic plate A, whence it returns along wire it, switch G, and wire H to the battery. It will thus be seen that the user-will receive through his body a pulsating current, or one of varying strength, inasmuch as at the instant when the armature F is in contact with the pointf the user receives but a small portion of the current; but when the circuit is broken at this point he receives the full strength of the current from the battery. This making and breaking of the circuit is kept up in rapid succession by the operation of the armature in the usual manner and need not therefore be described herein in detail. It now it is desired to obtain a steady current from the cane through the body in the same manner as before described, it is only necessary to move one of the switches G or G out of contact with the point 9 or g as the case may be, When the current will pass through the wire h and the other connections to the ground, thence through the body of the user and the metallic piece A, wire 72, switch G, and wire H back to the battery. It will be observed that this operation gives a simple galvanic current without pulsation. Now supposing that the user desires to take the current through both hands. He restores the switches to their original positions, as shown in Fig. 1, and grasps the head or handle with one hand and the metallic tubular part D with his other hand. Current will now pass from the battery through wire H, switch G contact 9 wire II, electromagnet F, wire H switch G, contact g, and wire H to the yoke f. At the times when the armature F is in contact with the point f current traverses the circuit before described, the shunt-current passing through the branch h and metallic tube D instead of into the ground, as before described, and from said tube it passes through the hand and body of the user to the metallic piece Aon the head or handle, and thence through wire h, switch G, and wire H back to battery E. At the times when the contact of the armature F with point f is broken the user receives the full force of the current through his hands and body. In this manner a pulsating current is caused to pass through the hands, arms, and body of the user.

If it is desired to use the miniature lamp I, the switch G is moved out of contact with the pointg,switch G is moved off frompoint g and into contact with point 9 and the switch G is moved into contact with point 9 Current will now pass from the battery E through wire H, switch G contact g, Wire I lamp I, wire I, contact 9 switch G wires 7L2 and H and back to battery E, thus causing the lamp I to burn.

There herein-described apparatus, while it is shown as applied to an ordinary cane or walkin -stick, is obviously equally applicable to the handles of umbrellas, crutches, or various other articles. It will also be understood that any suitable or desired source of electricity may be employed to produce the current, such as small primary or secondary batterycells, dry batteries, a galvanic pile, or any other desired form of generator.

It will of course be understood that the operation of the circuit-interrupter F operates to increase the potential of the pulsating current above that of the unbroken current from the battery.

In some instances it may be desired to dispense with the ground connection at the lower end of the cane or other article, and for thisreason therod (J is made removable,sothat in case the ground connection is not required the lower end of the cane may be unscrewed from the tube D, the rod C removed, and the lower part of the cane replaced in position, thus severing the connection between the metal] ie tip or ferrule C and the circuit-wires.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a cane or analogous article, of a suitable source of electric current,wires leading from opposite poles thereof, a current -interrupter connected with said wires, metallic portions located at suitable points upon the outside of the cane or other article, a switch for throwing said interrupter into or out of circuit, and switches for establishing or breaking the connections between said source of current and said metallic portions, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a cane or analogous article, of metallic pieces upon opposite ends thereof and an intermediate tubular metallic portion, a suitable source of electric current located within said tubular portion, connections between said source of current and said metallic end pieces and tubular portion, a current-lntcrrupter also located within said tubular portion, and switches for throwing said interrupteriutooroutof circuit and for establishing or breaking the connections between said source of current and said metallic parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

S EPHEN D. SMITH.

W'itnesses:

H. G. UNDERwooD, J OHN E. WILns.

ITO 

